Does anyone still believe this Stanley Cup deserves an asterisk?

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

why have an 82 game season if you're going to then have a mini-series to see who gets into the playoffs?

Why have an 82 game season to have a playoff series to see who the best team is?

A 12 upsetting a 5 is no different than an 8 upsetting a 1. If anything the NHL structure has always been flawed, and not enough emphasis is put on winning the presidents trophy.

Personally I’d love to see it be more like European Football (soccer) where there is a league trophy and a cup trophy and both are treated as important victories, instead of now where the regular season champion is a footnote. .

My ideal season would be an equally balanced regular season schedule (play each team home and away for 62 total games) to determine who the “league” champion is. (3-2-1 points system)

Then at the end of the season have a 32 team playoff (five rounds, best of 7) to determine the “Stanley Cup” champion. Seeding would be determined by “league” outcome.

Think that would be fun for fans too. Your team may suck and be out of the league race by Christmas, but still hope they can get things together by the playoffs.

[Hot_Flatus]

Originally Posted by fleury

I have to say, I hope the qualification round is brought back permanently. It's a money grab but not gimmicky. It was probably an experiment by the NHL to test out, and I thought it actually worked. More money for the NHL, for the players, for the fans - it works out for everyone.

Call me old fashioned, but is the 82 game regular season not already the "qualifying round"?

The NHL doesn't need to add futher layers to an already lengthy playoff/regular season format. The only reason it was entertaining this year, is due to the fact that everyone was entertainment starved for months. Put this at the end of an already dogged regular season, and it would be a complete dud in my books.

As for the asterisk, of course. You have teams that have players healthy, who otherwise would not have been and teams that may go deep, that otherwise would not have even qualified. It will still be a legitimate title, but it will always be shrouded by the mess that 2020 has become.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

Call me old fashioned, but is the 82 game regular season not already the "qualifying round"?

The NHL doesn't need to add futher layers to an already lengthy playoff/regular season format. The only reason it was entertaining this year, is due to the fact that everyone was entertainment starved for months. Put this at the end of an already dogged regular season, and it would be a complete dud in my books.

As for the asterisk, of course. You have teams that have players healthy, who otherwise would not have been and teams that may go deep, that otherwise would not have even qualified. It will still be a legitimate title, but it will always be shrouded by the mess that 2020 has become.

Plus, they charge a pisspot full of cash for people to come and watch 41 home games.

If they turned around and initiated a playoff qualifier, I would drop my season tickets instantly

[Flamenspiel]

I agree, the extra round of playoffs makes no sense and devalues the season. As it is right now, a lot of STH will drop now, add something like that and they will be playing in front of empty venues, even post covid.

[Press Level]

I vote for the asterisk now.

[ballin]

That motion passes. Asterisk it shall be.

[Flamenspiel]

Yes, completely meaningless, nothing to see here and get back to your summer

[Sainters7]

I think "Flames lose in 1st round" deserves an asterisk too. NHL can call it the Qualifying round, but the Flames still won a post-season series this year.

Still stings how we went out after such a promising start in the Stars series, but I'm not just going to pretend that Jets series never happened.

[GreenLantern2814]

Every season that ends without a Calgary Flames championship deserves a ####ing asterisk.